Grapple.



F. MILNE.

GRAPPLE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23, 1918.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

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mwmw @MW um W FRANK MILNE, OF CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA.

GRAPPLE.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK MILNE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of the city of Calgary, Province of Alberta, in the Dominion of Canada, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Grapples, described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, that form part ofthe same.

The principal objects of this invention are, to devise a grapple for lifting heavy paper rolls, barrels or cylinders of various kinds which may be very quickly adjusted to hold the object securely and may be easily and quickly released. I

A still further object is to devise a structure which will readily accommodate itself to holding various sizes of articles.

The principal feature of the invention consists in the novel construction and are rangement of parts whereby a pair of grapple members pivotally connected together are automatically adjusted through the weight of the load and locked securely in the adjusted positions during the transference of the load.

. The drawing represents a perspective view of a device constructed in accordance with this invention.

My device is constructed of a pair of metal bars 1 of arc shape joined together at their lower extremities by the wood bar 2 which is securely bolted to laterally turned flanges on the ends of said bars.

Brace rods 1 extend between the bars 1 intermediate of their length and a bar 5 is rotatably supported between the bars 1 adj acent to the upper ends and is formed with a crank 6 centrally between the ends.

7 are bars of arc-shape corresponding with the arc of the bars lvpivotally connected to the extremities of the bars 1 and having their lower ends connected together by the wood bar 8 corresponding with the bar 2, a suitable brace bar 9 being arranged intermediate of their length. The pivotal ends of the bars 7 are turned upwardly and the edges 10 adjacent to the crank bar 5 are formed with ratchet teeth 11.

12 are pawls rigidly secured at the ends of the crank bars 5 and adapted to engage the ratchet teeth 11 of the bars 7 so that upon the turning of the crank 6 in an upward direction the pawls will be swung outwardly and downwardly in contact with the upright ends of the bars 7 and cause the bars 7 to Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 23, 1918.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

Serial No. 218,677.

swing inwardly until the Wood bar 8 firmly engages the object to be lifted.

In order to release the pawls from engagement with the ratchet I provide a lever 18 pivotally secured to one of the bars 1 and the link 14 is pivotally connected at one end to this lever and at the other end to one of the pawls. By the operation of this lever in a backward or outward direction when the lifting strain is relieved the crank bar is rotated and the pawls withdrawn from engagement with the ratchet ends of the bars The lever 13 is swung backwardly until it engages the upper brace 4 which carries the point of pivotal connection of the link 14 thereto below the pivot of the lever and thereby locks the pawls in the open position.

The bars 7 are then free to swing on their" pivots and by the simple lifting action of the whole device the grapple will open out and clear the article to which it has been secured.

In order to avoid any possibility of damage in releasing I provide a lever 15 similar to the lever 13 011 the opposite bar 1. To this lever is connected a link 16 having its outer end connected to the upper ratchet and of one of the bars 7.

By the operation of the lever 15 the bars 7 may be swung outwardly on their pivots and if the lever 15 is thrown down to its limit the point of pivotal connection with .the link 16 will be below the center of the pivot of the lever and the arms will there fore be locked open. The jaws of the grapple are thus controlled in such a way that they can be opened wide and dropped over any article which it is desired to lift, then by manipulating the lever 15 the arms 7 will be swung inwardly after which the lever 13 is operated to bring the pawls into engagement with the ratchet ends of the bars 7. When the lifting strain is placed upon the crank bar by reason of the fact that the lift is made from the end of the crank the pawls are turned in an outward and down ward direction and they automatically swing the arms 7 on their pivots until the wood bars 2 and 8 at the bottom engage the underside of the article. The pawls then look securely and the load is lifted. The device adjusts itself automatically and its utility will be readily apparent.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A grapple comprising, a pair of pivotally connected members adapted to embrace the load, a. cranked member rotatably supported in one of said members and having the crank portion connected 'to the lifting device and means secured to the cranked member engaging the other pivotal member and forcing it inwardly in looking contact withthe load.

2. A grapple, comprising, a pair ofarcshaped members pivotally connected together and-adapted to embrace the load, one of said members-having a portion extending above the point of pivotal connection, a member rotatablysupported upon the other pivotal 'member and-adapted to engage said upward extensionto force the pivotal-members inwardly to grip the load, anda-crank liftingmei'nber connected to said rotatable member and adapted to operate same upon the application of a lifting force.

8. A grapple, comprising,'a pairof'arcshapedbars parall'elly arranged and rigidly connected together, a second pair of areshaped bars parallelly arranged and rigidly connected together and pivotally connected to the aforesaid bars'and-having projections extending upwardly from the pivots, a rod rotatably supported between the. ends'of the first pair-of bars and having a crank-formed intei 'mediateof its length, andlpawlsrigidly secured to said crank bar and adapted'to' engage the extensions of said pivot bars to swing them inwardly upon their pivots throughthe lifting force and'to-lock them.

4. A grapple, comprisingy'a pair of arcshaped bars pai'allellyarrangedand rigidly connected together, a second pair of arcshaped bars parallelly arrangedandrigidly connected together and pivotallyconnected to the aforesaid bars and hzwing'projections extendingupwardly from the pivotsya rod rotatably supported between the ends of i the first pair of'bars and-having a crank'formed intermediate of-its length, pawls secured to said "crank bar and adapted to engage the extensions of-said pivotba'rs to swing them upon their pivots and to lock them, a link pivotally connected to one of said pawls, and

a lever pivoted to one of the first pair of bars and'connected to the other end of said lever and adapted to operate said pawls, and

iiieans for swinging the pivotal bars upon shaped barsparallelly arranged and rigidly connected together, a second pair of areshaped bars parallelly arranged and rigidly connected together and pivotally connected to the aforesaidbarsand having projections extendingnpwardly from the'pivots, a rod rotatably supported between the ends of the first pair of bars and havinga crank formed intermediate'ofits length, pawls secured to said crank-bar and adapted to engage the extensions ofsaid pivot bars to swing them upontheirpivots and-to lock them, mean's'for releasing saidpaw1s and locking them in their open position, a lever pivotally eonnected to one of the first mentioned are- Shaped'baraa link having one end apivo-tally connected to said lever and the other end pivotally c'onnectedto the pivotal arc-shaped bars and adapted upon the operation-ofthe lever to swingsaid-b-ars on their pivots.

6. A grapple-comprising, a pairof bars rigidly spaced-apart andeach forined in arc shape,a pair of-bars pivotally-connected to one end of the aforesaid bars and rigidly spaced apart and formed-ofarc shape and with the other bars forming the inaj or pertion'of a'circle, long *wood'bars secured to the lower extremities of each of saitl pairs of bars and firmly arranged and -forming gripsto engage the undersideof the article to be lifted, means pivotally connected to one of the pivotal units-of said'device and adapted to beconnected tothe lifting means and to engage the other-unit ofthe device to effect theswinging oftheseconclary unit=into contact with the article'tobelifted upon the application of the li fting force.

FRANK Ml-LNE.

'Copies'of this patent maybe-obtainedforfive cents each, by addressing the Uonimi's'sienenof Patents, Washingtongbfl. 

